1 – 2
“Nicolás Fernández Mercau converted a penalty to give New York City a 0-1 lead against the run of play, handing NYCFC an early foothold following a corner routine that drew the foul.”
Pivotal“Agustín Ojeda latched onto a chance and drove a left-footed shot into the net to make it 2-0, killing the contest after Columbus had wasted a flurry of opportunities in the minutes prior — including two saves and a missed shot from Mohamed Farsi.”
Pivotal“A VAR review awarded Columbus a late penalty, which Dániel Gazdag converted with his right foot to pull one back and make it 1-2, providing a nervy finale but ultimately not enough to change the outcome.”
Columbus Crew
New York City
Outstanding performance
New York City•MidfielderNew York City produced a performance that will be studied as a masterclass in counter-punching football — conceding 59% of possession and facing 62 dangerous attacks compared to their own 28, yet walking away with all three points. Columbus controlled the ball, the territory, and the statistics for long stretches, registering 11 shots to NYCFC's 8 and creating three big chances — but they squandered two of them, and that wastefulness ultimately cost them. NYCFC's gameplan was surgical: Nicolás Fernández Mercau opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 28th minute, and Agustín Ojeda doubled the advantage on 70 minutes following a spell of Columbus pressure that produced saves and near-misses but no breakthrough. A frantic final ten minutes saw the hosts finally breach the NYCFC net through a stoppage-time penalty from Dániel Gazdag after a VAR review, but it was nothing more than a consolation that flattered Columbus's scoreline. For NYCFC, this road win is a significant statement in what is shaping up to be a tight title race, while Columbus will be left to rue an evening where their dominance in every surface metric counted for nothing.
How entertaining was this match?
Yellow card issued.
Taha Habroune takes a right-footed shot but misses.
Goal in the penalty shootout! Daniel Gazdag scores, making it 1-2.
Dániel GazdagShot from Daniel Gazdag with his right foot results in a goal.
Goal! The score is now 1-2.
Chase AdamsVAR decision results in a penalty being awarded to Chase Adams.
Corner awarded.
Max Arfsten takes a right-footed shot, but it's saved.
Chase Adams is on, and Nariman Akhundzade is off.
Maximo Carrizo is on, and Nico Cavallo is off.
Yellow card shown to Taha Habroune.
Nariman Akhundzade takes a left-footed shot, but it is saved.
Nariman Akhundzade takes a left-footed shot, but it is blocked.
Kevin Pierre is substituted for Jonathan Shore.
Andres Perea takes a shot with his head but misses.
Daniel Gazdag comes on for Jamal Thiare.
Dylan Chambost is substituted off for Sekou Tidiany Bangoura.
Jamal Thiare attempts a header but misses the shot.
Goal! The score is now 0-2.
assist: Talles Magno
Agustin Ojeda takes a left-footed shot and scores.
Mohamed Farsi takes a right-footed shot but misses.
Andres Perea takes a right-footed shot, but it's saved.
Andres Perea's header is saved.
Agustin Ojeda takes a right-footed shot, but it's saved.
Steven Moreira is on, and Malte Amundsen is off.
Hugo Picard is on, and Tarun Karumanchi is off.
Nicolas Ezequiel Fernandez Mercau takes a left-footed shot that hits the post.
Max Arfsten receives a yellow card.
Jamal ThiaréYellow CardYellow card shown to Jamal Thiare.
Hannes Wolf comes on for Benie Adama Traore.
Talles Magno comes on for Malachi Jones.
Taha Habroune takes a right-footed shot but misses.
Corner awarded.
Taha Habroune takes a right-footed shot, but it is saved.
First half ends with the score at 0-1.
Jamal Thiare takes a right-footed shot but misses.
Tayvon Gray receives a yellow card.
Malachi Jones takes a right-footed shot, but it is blocked.
Taha Habroune takes a right-footed shot but misses.
Nicolas Ezequiel Fernandez Mercau scores with a left-footed shot.
Goal in the penalty shootout! Nicolas Ezequiel Fernandez Mercau scores, making it 0-1.
Corner awarded.
Kick-off! The referee is Lorenzo Hernandez.
Columbus Crew and New York City FC renew acquaintances at Lower.com Field in their first MLS meeting since NYCFC's dominant 3-0 victory back in May. Both sides return from the World Cup break looking to climb the Eastern Conference standings, making this a pivotal midweek fixture with plenty of local rivalry spice.
